Earlier this year, widespread exploitation of four previously unknown or zero-day Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities led to more than 30,000 servers being attacked [ZDNet]. Microsoft indicated attackers were securing access to Exchange Servers either through these bugs or stolen credentials and then creating a web shell to hijack the system and execute commands remotely.
A web shell is a script that can be uploaded to a web server to enable remote administration of the machine. Infected web servers can be either Internet-facing or internal to the network, where the web shell is used to pivot further to internal hosts. If used in an attack chain, vulnerabilities can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE), server hijacking, backdoors, data theft and potentially further malware deployment.
While Microsoft issued emergency patches for the four vulnerabilities, historically many organizations are too busy to install them. Partnering with a managed service provider, like Magna5, can help you seamlessly analyze vulnerabilities and distribute patches across your network companywide to reduce security downtime risks.
Chris Krebs, the former director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), believes the Exchange Server bugs will disproportionately affect small businesses and organizations in the education sector as well as state and local governments [ZDNet]. Once adversaries penetrate a server, they can access email accounts, exfiltrate data, move laterally in victim environments, and install additional accesses and malware to allow long-term access to victim networks.
Recently, Magna5 was able to help a customer prevent exploitation of a zero-day web shell that potentially could be used to download emails or access other parts of their network. The architecture firm was currently protected with our premium endpoint security bundle. When the Microsoft Exchange Server patches were released, Magna5 proactively eliminated the vulnerability gaps with real-time patch management and threat intelligence to identify indicators of compromise. In addition, through our partnership with Huntress, we were able to detect an active web shell present in their Exchange Server within 24 hours of the public release of the zero-day patches. With Huntress identifying this indicator of compromise, it allowed us to respond quickly and isolate the machine before an attack could be exploited further.
Exploiting Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities are bad enough. Today, the sophistication and scale of malicious attacks are growing. Cyber criminals are implementing large-scale, multi-vector mega-attacks, sparking a need for advanced, real-time threat prevention, detection and response that protects all perimeters – networks, virtual clouds, remote offices and mobile operations.
Here are four ways managed security providers can accelerate implementing multiple tiers of defense to thwart attacks.
Early-warning detection identifies and blocks malicious traffic before threat actors disrupt operations.
It is vitally important to have visibility into your entire network, including all virtual machines, cloud apps, endpoints, mobile devices and VoIP phones. Moving data to a secure cloud environment monitored by a proven managed security provider can secure your data using next-generation firewalls and intrusion prevention systems that monitor traffic in real-time for effective cyber threat protection. Fully managed detection and response can provide 24/7/365 security monitoring and alerting of your critical systems to improve visibility, time to detection and incident response.
Harden security from any place remote works might connect from.
IDC reports that an estimated 70% of breaches start on endpoint devices … laptops, workstations, servers and mobile devices. Endpoint security protection provides deep visibility into every device and application running on-premises and in the cloud. It protects endpoints connecting to your network through the public internet with real-time treat detection, hunting and remediation, no matter where your employees are working. If a malware takes foothold of your network, managed security providers can reverse the attack with malware rollback to defuse the damage before it happens.
Protection begins with knowing where the weak spots are in your network.
Unpatched software and systems are sitting ducks for hackers. Managed security providers provide internal and external scans of network devices, servers, applications, databases and more … on-premises and in the cloud … to see what is exposed to threats and recommend corrective action. Regularly scheduled patch management can ensure weak entry points are patched and updated to proactively minimize the vectors that attackers can exploit. This includes filtering through hundreds of upgrades, testing validity of the upgrade and rolling out the upgrade across your enterprise.
Backup and recovery play a crucial role in restoring lost data in the event of attacks.
Managed security providers can swiftly respond to downtime events with cost-effective restore solutions. Seamless data backup and recovery in a managed cloud can happen in minutes to keep organizations running without interruption. You can specify recovery for an entire virtual environment or specific end-user systems, cloud applications and departmental infrastructures.
Earlier this year, widespread exploitation of four previously unknown or zero-day Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities led to more than 30,000 servers being attacked [ZDNet]. Microsoft indicated attackers were securing access to Exchange Servers either through these bugs or stolen credentials and then creating a web shell to hijack the system and execute commands remotely.
A web shell is a script that can be uploaded to a web server to enable remote administration of the machine. Infected web servers can be either Internet-facing or internal to the network, where the web shell is used to pivot further to internal hosts. If used in an attack chain, vulnerabilities can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE), server hijacking, backdoors, data theft and potentially further malware deployment.
While Microsoft issued emergency patches for the four vulnerabilities, historically many organizations are too busy to install them. Partnering with a managed service provider, like Magna5, can help you seamlessly analyze vulnerabilities and distribute patches across your network companywide to reduce security downtime risks.
Chris Krebs, the former director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), believes the Exchange Server bugs will disproportionately affect small businesses and organizations in the education sector as well as state and local governments [ZDNet]. Once adversaries penetrate a server, they can access email accounts, exfiltrate data, move laterally in victim environments, and install additional accesses and malware to allow long-term access to victim networks.
Recently, Magna5 was able to help a customer prevent exploitation of a zero-day web shell that potentially could be used to download emails or access other parts of their network. The architecture firm was currently protected with our premium endpoint security bundle. When the Microsoft Exchange Server patches were released, Magna5 proactively eliminated the vulnerability gaps with real-time patch management and threat intelligence to identify indicators of compromise. In addition, through our partnership with Huntress, we were able to detect an active web shell present in their Exchange Server within 24 hours of the public release of the zero-day patches. With Huntress identifying this indicator of compromise, it allowed us to respond quickly and isolate the machine before an attack could be exploited further.
Exploiting Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities are bad enough. Today, the sophistication and scale of malicious attacks are growing. Cyber criminals are implementing large-scale, multi-vector mega-attacks, sparking a need for advanced, real-time threat prevention, detection and response that protects all perimeters – networks, virtual clouds, remote offices and mobile operations.
Here are four ways managed security providers can accelerate implementing multiple tiers of defense to thwart attacks.
Early-warning detection identifies and blocks malicious traffic before threat actors disrupt operations.
It is vitally important to have visibility into your entire network, including all virtual machines, cloud apps, endpoints, mobile devices and VoIP phones. Moving data to a secure cloud environment monitored by a proven managed security provider can secure your data using next-generation firewalls and intrusion prevention systems that monitor traffic in real-time for effective cyber threat protection. Fully managed detection and response can provide 24/7/365 security monitoring and alerting of your critical systems to improve visibility, time to detection and incident response.
Harden security from any place remote works might connect from.
IDC reports that an estimated 70% of breaches start on endpoint devices … laptops, workstations, servers and mobile devices. Endpoint security protection provides deep visibility into every device and application running on-premises and in the cloud. It protects endpoints connecting to your network through the public internet with real-time treat detection, hunting and remediation, no matter where your employees are working. If a malware takes foothold of your network, managed security providers can reverse the attack with malware rollback to defuse the damage before it happens.
Protection begins with knowing where the weak spots are in your network.
Unpatched software and systems are sitting ducks for hackers. Managed security providers provide internal and external scans of network devices, servers, applications, databases and more … on-premises and in the cloud … to see what is exposed to threats and recommend corrective action. Regularly scheduled patch management can ensure weak entry points are patched and updated to proactively minimize the vectors that attackers can exploit. This includes filtering through hundreds of upgrades, testing validity of the upgrade and rolling out the upgrade across your enterprise.
Backup and recovery play a crucial role in restoring lost data in the event of attacks.
Managed security providers can swiftly respond to downtime events with cost-effective restore solutions. Seamless data backup and recovery in a managed cloud can happen in minutes to keep organizations running without interruption. You can specify recovery for an entire virtual environment or specific end-user systems, cloud applications and departmental infrastructures.
With the emergence of “killware,” Magna5 urges all its customers to spring into action to ensure their networks are secure. Here are five ways we can help.
With the emergence of “killware,” Magna5 urges all its customers to spring into action to ensure their networks are secure. Here are five ways we can help.
BeCybersmart. Own your role in cybersecurity by becoming preparedness champions utilizing best practices in cybersecurity.
Learn how teaming with Magna5 can help your organization proactively monitor, detect and troubleshoot network problems before they impact business operations.
Hear stories how other companies are winning their battle to fight cybersecurity and ransomware attacks. You can stay ahead, too. In this webinar, you will learn insightful best practices in building an ironclad multi-layered security defense to stop bad actors in real-time.
Cyber threat intelligence is a critical security component needed to gain a deeper understanding of what’s happening inside and outside your network.
Network blind spots are dangerous. Learn how to gain visibility into your critical network components to improve network uptime and performance.
Be on the offense to protect your endpoints. Here are six pillars to gain an upper hand in providing real-time prevention, detection and response.
Learn how to quickly respond to hidden and emerging cyber threats with a fully managed detection and response defense.
Discover how managed detection and response helps you stay ahead of security risks by identifying and blocking both known and unknown cyberattacks.managed
Read how Magna5 helps organizations improve their cybersecurity resilience with a multi-tiered security defense fully managed around the clock.
Let Magna5 help you improve your cybersecurity resilience with a multi-tiered security defense fully managed around the clock.
Discover the various types of IT network monitoring and the importance of full network visibility for better network performance.
Learn why real-time IT monitoring is the best approach to keep your network “always on” and performing at peak performance.
Proactively safeguard your network and endpoints using a three-step defense strategy to counter attacks before they penetrate your perimeter.
Build a strong Zero Trust authentication and verification strategy to limit unauthorized access from multiple entry points.
Magna5 helps organizations on-ramp cloud services and speed digital transformation to seize new business opportunities without the hassle.
Protect your MS365 accounts from data breaches and unauthorized access with these six essential security defense measures.
Through actionable Dark Web ID intelligence, Magna5 can let you know ahead of time if cybercriminals already have the keys to access your network.
The only way to stay ahead of growing cyber threats is to build an ironclad, multi-tiered defense. To win this fight, you have to be proactive and vigilant.
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